By Contributor,Layne Randolph,Peter Breining

Copyright forbes

Angelina Mondavi, newly appointed Head Winemaker at Charles Krug, a Mondavi family-owned business since 1943.
Alexander Rubin

When Angelina Mondavi was recently named head winemaker at her family’s Charles Krug Winery, she stepped into a role steeped in both history and symbolism. The winery, founded in 1861 and then purchased in 1943 by Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, is Napa Valley’s oldest commercial winery and its first bonded one.

It has remained in Mondavi hands ever since—making it one of the rare true legacy wineries in California. Today, as Angelina takes the winemaking reins, she takes the place of recently retired Stacy Clark, her mentor and Krug winemaker for 14 years, bringing the winemaking back into the family.

Today, the family’s third (Peter Sr.’s sons Peter Jr, and Marc) and fourth generations own and run the business. Being a fourth-generation family-owned winery is itself a feat in Napa Valley, where corporate acquisitions are increasingly the norm. But for a family to own Napa’s oldest winery for over 80 years is monumental.

The Mondavi Family And Napa’s Oldest Winery

Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, immigrants from Sassoferrato, Italy, bought the property post-Prohibition after coming to America and building a livelihood in mining, grocery, and grape growing. They purchased the historic Krug estate in what Angelina says Cesare once called “the opportunity of a lifetime.” Charles Krug became the beating heart of the Mondavi family enterprise and a touchstone in Napa’s transformation into a world wine capital.

Of course, no conversation about the Mondavi name is complete without mentioning the split between Cesare and Rosa’s two sons, Robert and Peter Sr. The family rift, widely reported and dissected in the press, reshaped the course of Napa Valley wine. But for Angelina, those headlines were distant. “My grandfather (Peter Sr) never spoke about it. It was just something we didn’t talk about. I didn’t know the Mondavi legacy until I went overseas,” she recalls.

PETER MONDAVI-8 SEPT82-PB ;PETER MONDAVI CHECKS GRAPES OF OF FIRST LOAD TO GO TO CRUSHER. (Photo by Peter Breining/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

Robert Mondavi went on to establish a separate winery and his name became synonymous with Napa Valley worldwide. Peter stayed with Krug. With his granddaughter heading winemaking and the fourth generation of the family running Krug today, his choice has proven to be the ultimate in playing the long game.

Peter Mondavi Sr.’s Legacy

To the outside world, the Mondavis were a dynasty. Inside her own home, they were simply family—wine always on the table, part of daily life. Her childhood was spent immersed in that vineyard world. She grew up on the Charles Krug estate itself, running through vines and gardens with her dogs, absorbing the rhythms of farm and cellar. Her grandfather was her first sensory teacher.

“He made me smell every piece of a tomato: the stem, the leaves, the fruit. What does a stewed tomato smell like? What is a green tomato? That really helped develop my senses and my palate,” she says. Those early lessons laid the groundwork for a career built not only on legacy but on personal passion.

He made me smell every piece of a tomato: the stem, the leaves, the fruit. What does a stewed tomato smell like? What is a green tomato?

Angelina Mondavi, referring to her grandfather, Peter Mondavi Sr.

Angelina And The Fourth Generation Continue the Mondavi Legacy

Angelina is the only member of the fourth generation to pursue winemaking. She holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry with a minor in Business from Villanova University and a Master’s degree in winemaking from University of Adelaide, South Australia. Her grandfather shaped Charles Krug’s wines from 1945 to 1990, her father Marc advanced the tradition from 1990 onward, and now Angelina steps forward to lead the fourth generation.

“The more I traveled around the world and was mentored by amazing winemakers, I honed my senses and realized this is something I’m passionate about and truly love,” she says.

Aging Room at Charles Krug Winery (Photo by © Ted Streshinsky/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Corbis via Getty Images

She built a consulting business, lending her palate and expertise to wineries, and with her three sisters, she co-founded the Mondavi Sisters Collection portfolio. But the goal was always to head the winemaking at Krug, which was brought one step closer when she became Consulting Winemaker to Clark in 2022.

That hands-on experience gives her the breadth to approach Charles Krug as a winemaker who understands every side of the business. The winery has long focused on estate-grown fruit, sustainable farming, and respect for its historic vineyards. They focus on regenerative practices that ensure soil health and longevity, including cover crops, biodiversity, and reduced intervention. The wines are vegan, crafted with precision, and built to reflect both tradition and innovation.

MIAMI BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 26: Charles Krug Winery on display at Fontainebleau Miami Beach Wine Spectator’s Best Of The Best Sponsored By Bank of America during 2016 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented By FOOD & WIN at Fontainebleau Miami Beach on February 26, 2016 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)

Eighty Years of Mondavi

With a Mondavi once again at the head of winemaking, the continuity is impossible to ignore. The continuity of vision, the passing of knowledge across generations, and the ability to adapt while honoring tradition: these are the hallmarks of wine dynasties that endure.

And yet, Angelina’s path is uniquely her own. She built her career through persistence, mentorship, and a deep personal love of wine. She still consults, she still collaborates with her sisters, and she still embodies the belief that legacy is less about inheritance and more about responsibility. It’s a heavy weight to bear — carrying forward a story that began with Cesare and Rosa more than 80 years ago.

As Angelina puts it, “Legacy families are the true legends. There’s not a lot of us left.”

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